Lake Monsters

Lighting Design
Forbes Center for the Performing Arts
Studio Theatre, February 2017
Director: DJ Batchlor
Lake Monsters is a new work by James Madison University alumni, James Lex. The story follows four characters, Hudson, who is dating Natalie, their friend Sky, and Sky's sister Jodi. They all deal with secrets, lies, and the tragic events that lead to the death of Sky. The story is told non-linearly as we piece together what the characters have experienced on this sacred dock they all have spent hours sitting on.
In lighting this world I wanted to capture the feeling of being out on a lake at different times of day. The lighting on the dock was more realistic, while the fabric representing the lake was lit in a variety of ways that didn't always match the realistic world on the dock. This reflected Sky's active imagination of what lived under the water. During transitions, the lighting on "the lake" would take over the dock and reflect the mood of the last scene. This helped with the non-linear structure of the show, but also added to the emotional state of the characters.